


Help! Not Just Anybody

by Cherrys_Criminal_Mind



Category: Criminal Minds, Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Smut, Spencer as a dad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-23
Updated: 2016-07-23
Packaged: 2018-07-26 06:13:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 21,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7563379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cherrys_Criminal_Mind/pseuds/Cherrys_Criminal_Mind
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the events of Secrets and Lies, Spencer listens to his friends and finally decides to hire a nanny.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> A/N Alright so this is a follow up to Secrets And Lies. Obviously in that story Y/N was Ella’s mom. In this story Y/N is a new character. I was contemplating an OC but OC stories don’t seem to go down very well. So just remember, that although this is a follow up, Y/N is not the same person.

“How many more have we got left?” Spencer asked JJ with a loud sigh.

His friend look at the page in front of her and squinted. “Two. The next one should be along any second now. I’ll go put another coffee on whilst we wait. You doing okay?”

Reid nodded, grasping Jen’s hand when she squeezed his shoulder as she stood.

“I’m good. Just tired. And fed up of listening to people tell me how they’d raise my daughter for me. And then seeing the judgement on their face when they hear about her sister.”

“What’s funny is watching them struggle to hide their judgement. From two profilers at that. Nah, don’t think so” JJ grinned at him, collecting their mugs.

“You’re doing the right thing Spence. A live in Nanny will help you so much. And it’s not like you can’t afford it. You won’t have to worry about finding last minute sitters or having to run Ella over to Georgia or Amanda in the middle of the night. And I know you’ve missed being out in the field.”

“I know. It just…. feels like I’m asking someone to replace her mom. And that’s not right.”

Jennifer tilted her head to the side and gave Spencer another smile, a sadder one this time.

“You’re not though and she knows that. But you miss your job and Hotch can’t keep you out of the field forever, not unless you switch departments. And it’s not often were out of state for more than two or three days at most recently. I can’t remember the last long one…. ”

“Seventeen months and four days ago. We were out for thirteen days. The Edison Strangler.”

“See, good run. And you’re offering a great deal here. Accommodation, a car, an amazing salary. Jessica was doing all of that for free when she was looking after Jack. And you can’t rely on Georgia or Amanda forever. Amanda loves her grandchild to pieces but she’s getting on a bit herself and expecting her to take care of a nine year old constantly is a bit much.”

Reid shoved his hands through his hair. “I know, I know that you’re right. And I’m sure once we find the right one I’ll feel better about this.”

“You will, I promise. Now, coffee.”

JJ left the room leaving Spencer to his thoughts. He still wasn’t sure how he felt about having a strange live with them and driving his car but both JJ and Georgia had convinced him that it was the right thing to do. Gee would still have Ella on the last weekend of the month but she couldn’t keep picking her up from school for him, not now that she had gone back to work full time. It hadn’t been so bad before when the girls were at the same school but when Gee had remarried and moved in with her new husband it meant a new school district for Ellie.

After Ella’s mom had died and Spencer had finally managed to pull his head together enough to care for his daughter, he’d made the decision to move Ella and him to a two storey town house near to his old home with Georgia, changing her schools so that she was in the same one as Ellie. But now, he hadn’t wanted to uproot her again, she’d already changed schools twice and although Ella and Ellie were obviously close, they hadn’t actually been in the same class so had both made other friends. It didn’t seem fair to make her change schools just that it would be easier on him because she could go home with Ellie and wait there until Spencer could collect her. So for the past six months Spencer had been relying on Ella’s Grandma Amanda to travel across town to pick her up or Georgia and Tim, her new husband to watch her until he could get home from work. Occasionally even Will would pitch in and she’d spend time with Henry.

It was all affecting Spencer and Ella badly. When he had free time he wanted to be able to spend it with Ella, and when it was his weekends to have Ellie he wanted to be able to take the girls out. Instead, because he was rarely at home until late in the week because of work and then having to drive to various places to collect Ella from whichever caregiver was looking after her, chores were piling up so he was having to spend time doing them. He was also neglecting his job because he was having to think about making sure he was in a certain place at a certain time, or what things he needed to do that night before he could finally rest. Hotch had been fantastic about letting Spencer stay at HQ but that wasn’t what Spencer had signed up for when he joined the FBI. He actually enjoyed travelling to the different states on cases but because of his situation, he’d had to pull back from that a lot. And so JJ had suggested he look into a nannying service. He had the room at home for a live in one and a car that he rarely drove. Having someone there all the time would make things easier for him and Ella, she could come home from school and start her homework straight away and be in her own home. And as part of the role would be basic housekeeping, he wouldn’t have to worry about chores so could spend more time with Ella, and Ellie when he had her.

He was just apprehensive about having someone in his home with him. But he could see the benefits of it so had finally called JJ and had her and Derek help him redecorate and kit out the spare bedroom, and contact agencies to put in an add. As Ella’s godmother, JJ was helping with the interviews although he could tell that she was getting exasperated with him. They’d interviewed last weekend too and none of the eight applicants they’d seen had been right in his eyes. They’d seen another five today, with two more to go. Hearing a knock on the front door he realised that the next applicant had arrived. He sighed deeply to himself.

…

Y/N had been sitting in her car for the last twenty five minutes, parked slightly up the road from the home of her next potential employer.

Her current family that she’d been with for four years were leaving for England in three weeks time and although she’d been offered positions with three other families, she hadn’t felt that initial click with the parents that she liked to. Whilst her main focus was of course the children she’d be looking after, Y/N had found that most children liked her and that she could adapt to them. It was the parents that were the problem. If she couldn’t work with them, she wouldn’t enjoy the job and that would have a negative effect on the children and her. And she wanted to be happy with her work, especially when it was one that involved her living in on the job.

Her next prospective employer was Dr Spencer Reid of the FBI. Her existing employers had actually informed her of the current new position, suggesting she go for it. The mom of her current charge had heard about the job from another mom at the school, a woman known as Jen. Jen was one of Dr Reid’s colleagues and friend, and had asked that Y/N go and interview when she learned that she wouldn’t be joining the family in England.

Y/N had done her research on the man, discovering that he was 37 years of age and had numerous degrees and accreditations, more than seemed humanly possible for a man his age who’d had a full time position within the FBI since he was 24. His resume was impressive and sightly intimidating to her but she wasn’t going to let that show. Her lack of degrees and honours had no reflection on her abilities as a caregiver. Interestingly enough the articles she’d read had not mentioned the fact that he was father, only stating that he was divorced and resided in Virginia. She guessed that given his job he liked to keep as much of his personal life private as he could.

Checking her appearance in the rear view mirror a final time, Y/N gathered her bag and her resume up, locking her car and making her way to the front door. She was surprised when a pretty blonde woman answered the door, a woman she recognised from the gates of the school. She wasn’t there often but when she was, her son would always run to her beaming.

“Hi. I’m JJ. You must be Y/N?” her smile was welcoming and Y/N grinned back, extending her hand to be shook.

“Hello! Yes, I am. I recognise you from Green Acres.”

“Ah yes, Henry loves it there. Come on through and I’ll take you in to meet Spencer. I’ll pre warn you now, he’s a little cranky. This is the second weekend of interviewing.”

JJ was feeling optimistic about this applicant. Another school mom that she talked too had recommended her, singing her praises and lamenting how sad the family were that they couldn’t convince Y/N to join them in England. Jen had seen her too at the school gates, picking up her charges and they always seemed pleased to see her. Maybe that families loss would be Spencer and Ella’s gain.

JJ led Y/N through to dining room where Spencer was sitting gripping a cup of coffee like his life depended on it. She felt bad for her friend, but she truly believed this was best option if Reid wanted to keep working at the BAU.

“Spencer, this is Y/F/N. Y/N this is Dr Spencer Reid.”

Y/N crossed the room quickly and held her hand out to him, surprised when he didn’t take it. Behind her she heard JJ sigh.

“He has a thing about hand shaking…. ”

“The amount of bacteria passed during a single handshake is….” the man began to speak.

“Spencer, really? I’ve heard you say that line to every single applicant. You really should just shake their hands, it’s polite.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Don’t worry Dr Reid, I completely understand” Y/N did to an extent, the amount of germs and bacteria the human came into contact with each day was immense and she always drilled good cleanliness and hygiene practices into her charges, carting bottles of antibacterial gel in her bag at all times.

JJ touched her arm and gestured to one of the chairs. “Please, take a seat. Can I get you a drink or anything?”

“I’m fine actually, thank you. I have bottled water in my bag, one of the habits of being a nanny, always having snacks and drinks with you wherever you go.”

She didn’t mention the apple, boxes of raisins and the zip lock bag of carrot sticks she also had, or the bag of Reeses miniature pieces.

“Alrighty then” JJ pulled up the seat next to Dr Reid. “Let’s begin. I’m Ella’s godmother, so I’m helping Spencer out. we’re trying to keep this relatively informal. If you could just tell us about yourself and how you came into this profession?”

“Okay, erm… So I’m 26 years old and I’ve been nannying for eight years with two separate families.”

“So you started when you were eighteen?” Dr Reid furrowed his brow slightly.

“Yes” Y/N replied, knowing where this was going.

“Did you not go to college?” he asked.

Had he not even read her resume at all?

“Nope.”

“Can I asked why not?”

“You can. You see, I had a bit of a turbulent time during my teenage years, I’m not going to lie and cover that up. My mom passed away when I was eleven leaving my dad and I, and my three younger siblings. Up until I was fifteen I was the good little daughter, helping to raise them and ultimately taking over from my mother. It felt natural to me, I’m great with kids hence why I do what I do. Then a few months after my fifteenth birthday I seemed to hit a brick wall and suddenly vetoed drastically. I started hanging with a bad crowd at school, skipping classes and generally being a teenage tearaway. My school work slipped massively and I suddenly had no ambition in life. I finally managed to pull myself back a few months before graduation but by then it was too late. I barely scraped together enough credits to graduate.”

Y/N paused to take a sip from her water bottle that she’d pulled from her bag.

“After I left school I started waitressing at this little diner. A family used to come in at least three times a week. A mom and her two kids. They were regulars, the mom worked long hours so didn’t want to waste time to home cooking so she took the kids out to eat most nights, and the dad worked away a lot. I started making small talk with them and getting to know them and after around four months, the mom approached me and asked if I’d ever consider nannying. She’d seen how good I was with her kids. She loved her job dearly but was feeling pressure to give it up because she felt like she was neglecting her kids. They had different sitters a few nights a week and she was constantly being let down. They had a spare room at the house and she offered me a better wage than what I was making at the diner. It was a no brainer really. I ended up staying with them for five years, until the youngest was headed off to middle school. I still see the family regularly. During my time with them, I completed some courses at the community college so I at least had some basic qualifications. I found my latest family, the Thompsons through my first job. The moms worked together. I’ve been with them for three years and would stay with them longer still except I don’t wish to move to another country despite the very attractive package they’ve offered me to go. My own family and friends are here, and two years ago I started taking a weekend class at the college, working towards a degree in psychology. It involves some online learning modules which I’ve been doing when the children were at school. Eventually I want to become a guidance counsellor so hopefully I can help other children make the right decisions instead of flying off the handles like I did.”

Both JJ and Dr Reid were nodding by the time she finished, JJ a genuine looking smile on her face. JJ then began to explain the ins and outs of what this particular position would entail. Only one child which Y/N wasn’t used to, but she would be on call pretty much all the time. Due to the nature of their jobs Dr Reid could be away for days at a time.

“The last weekend of every month you’d have free though. My ex wife looks after Ella then and she would still be on call for emergencies as would Ella’s grandmother. I am home most weekends, in recent months our unsubs seem to have been thoughtful enough to keep their activities to weekdays” Dr Reid chuckled nervously at his joke and Y/N indulged him with a grin.

“Ella’s mom only has her once a month?” she did ask, feeling confused.

“Erm no” a glance between Dr Reid and JJ.

“Ella’s mom passed away four years ago. Ella spends time with my ex wife so she can see her sister. You’ll meet her too and part of your role could also entail looking after her if I’m called into work suddenly on the weekends I have her. That’s only happened a handful of times though” he explained.

“Oh okay. So how old is Ella’s sister?”

“She’s also nine. Ellie is four months younger than Ella…. ”

Y/N’s brain did the maths and took in the slightly sheepish look on the man’s face, noticing how attractive he actually was. It sounded like Dr Reid hadn’t quite been the oh so faithful husband which was odd. Y/N was no expert but she somehow didn’t expect that from the man sat in front of her, but then again people change a lot.

Dr Reid sighed loudly, an annoyed look crossing his features.

“I can see you judging me. The same look every applicant has had so far when I’ve mentioned Ellie.”

He was right, she was.

“Sorry” Y/N apologised. “I thought I was doing a better job of hiding my judgement, I guess I’d have to work on that being around a profiler. You do kinda deserve it though, you’ve got to at least expect it, especially when you don’t give the whole story.”

Dr Reid looked shocked and JJ’s grin grew wider. Every other applicant had stumbled over their words and blushed when Spencer had called them out on it, which he’d done every single time. He knew he deserved the judgement, the girl was right. This one though, was the first applicant to actually respond honestly and openly to his accusations.

Jen was pleasantly surprised though when Spencer pushed back his chair and stood.

“Y/N, would you like a tour of the house? I can show you the bedroom that would be yours if you accept the job offer, and you can see Ella’s room.”

“Wait… Job offer? Is the interview over?”

Dr Reid nodded. “It is for me at least. I appreciate how honest you’ve been with me about your past, and I respect that you didn’t try to lie when I called you out just then. As a profiler, you learn to read people and from what I’m reading from you, I think you’d be very good for my daughter. If you want the job, it’s yours.”

A silent ‘yes’ went through JJ and she resisted the urge to fist pump when Y/N stood up next to him.

“Show me my new bedroom then, Dr Reid.”

“Please, it’s Spencer.”


	2. Chapter 2

Three months later and Y/N was well and truly settled into the Reid household. She’d accepted the position, of course she had, there’d been something about the tall, messy haired man that she felt akin to. She asked to meet Ella before making her final decision, finding the nine year old friendly but slightly reserved at the same time. Two weeks later she’d pulled her car onto their drive and moved her things in, being handed a set of house keys and a credit card for groceries. After an initially rocky first month, she and Ella developed a bond and settled into a routine, and now life was good.

Spencer was home almost every weekend like he’d told her he’d be. The two Saturdays he’d been caught in a case, he’d made sure to phone ahead and arrange alternate cover for Ella so that Y/N could still attend her class. The alternative cover was usually Georgia, his ex wife who Y/N had met two weeks into her role. She’d found this other woman interesting and intriguing, as well as very blunt. But she was a good mother to Ellie and a good sort of step mom to Ella when she was needed. And Y/N had found herself calling her on a few occasions when she couldn’t get hold of Spencer, the first time being when Spencer was away on a case and Ella had fallen ill and had needed collecting early from school. Y/N had been halfway across town about to sit a test for her course, a test she’d had scheduled in for weeks. Gee had been a lifesaver, collecting Ella and depositing her back at home, staying with her until Y/N returned two hours later.

“Thank you so much! I’m so sorry you had to come out of work for this… ”

“It’s no problem Y/N, seriously. My office is generally very good at making concessions for those with kids, I just told them it was Ellie that was sick. She’s all tucked up in bed now, poor thing.”

“I’ll go check up on her in a moment. Thank you again.”

“Like I said, no problem. How are you finding things here anyway?” The woman brushed a lock of her hair back and took a look around the kitchen that was now way more organised and uncluttered than it had been a few months before.

“It’s good. Ella’s a sweetheart most of the time. She’s a great kid although occasionally I get the distinct feeling that she’s holding back from me and her dad.”

“Yeah, she still has her moments even when she’s with us. She still misses her mom, bless her. We all do.”

Y/N had been surprised by that comment, still not knowing the full story of what had happened all those years ago. But she didn’t let it show this time. Georgia spoke again.

“How are you finding Spencer?”

“Erm.. He’s fine. When he’s here he’s great with Ella and he doesn’t seem to have any issues with what I’ve been doing. I try to keep out of their way though once he’s home, to give them time together.” She did, once the dishes from the evening meal were cleaned away and Ella’s lunch was made for the following day she generally took herself off upstairs to her room. The room she’d been given was large and had an ensuite attached. Most nights she’d take a long bath and read, or catch up on her online modules, completing her homework. At the weekends, she try to arrange meetings with friends so she was out of the house unless she was needed.

“Well that’s very good of you. You should take the time to get to know Spencer though. Seriously, he’s a great guy. You’re studying psychology right?” Y/N was surprised again by how much this woman seemed to know about her, but she nodded.

“You should talk to him about him, he could probably help with your coursework and things. Who better than an FBI profiler to help you.”

The woman had a point and Y/N made a mental note to try to get to know Spencer a bit more if the opportunity arose.

Over the next few months it didn’t, not really. It wasn’t like Y/N and Dr Reid didn’t converse, they spoke a lot about Ella and Ellie, and she even joined them all on a trip to the local zoo one weekend when he had both girls. But at night she still sloped off to her room if he was home and she didn’t have plans with her friends. One Saturday night, that finally changed.

“Bye Olive, thanks for the ride babe!” Y/N reached balanced her take out pizza in her hand as she clumsily waved goodbye to her friend and searched her bag for her house keys.

She’d been out celebrating a friends birthday and whilst she definitely wasn’t smashed, she also definitely wasn’t sober. She didn’t want to eat her greasy pizza in bed so she figured she’d grab another glass of wine from her shelf in the kitchen and catch up on Game of Thrones on the big TV downstairs. Creeping into the kitchen and sliding her pizza onto the side, she pulled a clean wineglass out of the cupboard and was humming the last song she’d been dancing to, to herself quietly as she poured, tottering on her heels.

“Good night?”

Y/N nearly jumped out of her skin, clutching the wine bottle so she didn’t drop it. She turned to see Dr Reid leaning against the door frame, an amused look on his face.

“Jesus fucking christ…. ” a rare expletive slipped her lips and Spencer raised his eyebrows not used to hearing that language from her. She’d trained herself not to swear around her charges and her employers but the combination of the alcohol and the fright he’d given her had loosened her tongue.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you Y/N.”

“It’s fine…. I’m sorry if I woke you up. I thought I’d closed the door quietly.”

“You did. I was still up, reading in the lounge.” Y/N realised then that he wasn’t dressed for bed, still in slacks and his shirt. His tie was missing and the sleeves were rolled up messily. Thick glasses were perched on the bridge of his nose, she hadn’t realised he even wore them.

“Did you have a good night?” Dr Reid asked again.

“Yes…. I did thank you. I’ll erm… Just take these up stairs and get out of your way then.” She could watch GoT upstairs, the man’s cable package extended to her TV as well. She’d just have to be careful with her food.

“You weren’t planning on going straight to bed were you?” Dr Reid studied her reactions and she slowly shook her head knowing their was no point in trying to lie.

“Don’t let me keep you from doing whatever it was you were going to. This is YOUR home too Y/N. You don’t have to hide yourself away in your room you know” his voice was soft and kind.

“Oh erm, okay. I was just going to eat this and catch up on a show, that was all.”

“Well by all means, stick with your original plan.”

Y/N did, taking her wine and pizza box through to the lounge and resting them down as she searched through the catch up TV programme that they had to find her show. Spencer followed her back through a few moment later, a tumbler filled with what Y/N thought to be whiskey.

“Is that pepperoni I can smell?” Dr Reid asked her.

She nodded. “Do you want to share? I probably won’t eat it all anyway. It’s probably best if you sit on the couch with me though.”

She settled back down and opened the pizza box, resting it in the middle of the couch as Spencer sat on the opposite end. He glanced up at the TV just as she was about to press play.

“Game Of Thrones? I haven’t watched this since like the second season.”

“You haven’t?” she set the remote back down. He shook his head.

“Have you not even read the books? Surely with your reading skills it would have only took you a few hours.”

“I started too, but then… Well, life got in the way. Mind catching me up quickly? All I know is that that little shit Joffrey is dead.”

Y/N chuckled at his words and spent the next twenty minutes giving her employer a brief run down of the goings on in Westeros. When she was done, she hit play and started to munch on her now cold pizza. She didn’t mind, she sometime preferred it that way.

Every few minutes Spencer would pipe up asking who a certain character was and she’d pause the TV to explain. After the fourth time, he apologised.

“I’m so sorry. This must be extremely annoying for you. I’ll erm, shut up and just read up on it tomorrow. In fact… I’ll just leave you to it.”

He went to stand up and Y/N found herself blurting out “No. Please, sit back down Dr Reid. I don’t mind explaining to you, in fact… I was rather enjoying it. It’s not very often we actually sit and talk. It was…. It was kinda nice.”

Reid settled back down, glancing over at his companion and seeing she meant her words.

“We don’t really, do we. Perhaps we should. Okay. If you’re sure you don’t mind, I’ll stay. And tomorrow I’ll Wikipedia the seasons I’ve missed. Maybe… Maybe we could watch this together. Make it a weekly thing?”

“I think we should. If you’re out on a case, I’ll record it and wait for you. Sound like a plan?” Y/N smiled some what shyly.


	3. Chapter 3

After that night the relationship between Y/N and Spencer became more relaxed. Rather than disappearing off to her room in the evenings when he was home, she’d now stay downstairs, working on her laptop once Ella was in bed. Sometimes Spencer would work, other times he’d read, occasionally he’d sit and watch TV. And sometimes he’d help her with her school work.

Very often her essays would start up a conversation between the pair, it sometimes lasting for hours after which Y/N would realise that she’d hadn’t completed half the work she’d set out to. But she still enjoyed it. Dr Reid was exceptionally intelligent, which she of course already knew. He was a genius after all. But he wasn’t conceited with it, at least not most of the time.

They were more at ease around each other, developing a friendship of sorts rather than just a professional relationship. Both Y/N and Spencer looked forward to their Saturday nights where they’d catch up on the Game Of Thrones episode that had aired earlier in the week, the only exception being if Reid was on a case or if Y/N had pre existing plans with friends in which case they’d reschedule. Sometimes they ordered take out in, sometimes they shared a bottle of wine. Sometimes they’d channel surf afterwards and settle on a film, Y/N often then falling asleep on the couch.

It was one of the those nights when things got weird. Y/N had passed out, light snuffles coming from her mouth. It was late spring and very warm and she was dressed in a t-shirt and shorts, her legs tucked up underneath her on the couch. Spencer chuckled lightly to himself at the snores she was making, hauling himself off the couch and clicking the TV off. Bending over Y/N, he shook her shoulder lightly.

“Y/N… Y/N”

She stirred, looking around the room in the confusion that she often felt when she’d woke up from a nap. Her long hair had fallen forward covering half her face and Spencer reached his hand out to tuck it behind her ear, not thinking twice about the movement until he realised she was looking at him, her eyes wide.

Reid stared back, the dim light from the lit lamp reflecting in her eyes. She really was attractive he thought to himself, his hand still near her ear. Very gently he cupped her chin and Y/N found herself leaning into his touch, nuzzling his hand almost. The atmosphere in the room suddenly felt thick, like the air did on a hot humid summers day, and neither of them moved.

A loud yell came from the top of the stairs.

“DADDY!!”

Spencer jumped, pulling his hand away from Y/N and dashing up the stairs to his daughter wondering what on earth had been going through his mind.

He made his way quickly to his daughters room, finding her eyes stained with tears. A nightmare. He climbed onto the bed with Ella to soothe her, wrapping her up in a hug and telling her that everything was going to be alright.

When he left her room twenty minutes later, he encountered Y/N on the stairs. She looked at him carefully.

“Is Ella okay?” she asked.

“Nightmare. She’s fine now….. Y/N?” Spencer wanted to address what had happened downstairs, but all of a sudden he doubted himself. Was there anything that needed to be addressed?

Or had the moment all been in his head?

“Yes, Dr Reid” Y/N waited, trying to control her facial expression and not knowing what to say if he mentioned what she thought he was going to mention.

His brow furrowed and then he seemed to give himself a tiny shake.

“Have a good night’s sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Y/N nodded, walking down the hall and into her bedroom, waiting for her bedroom door to be fully closed before she exhaled deeply.

Well that had been a close call.

…

When they lay in their respective beds the next morning, both Y/N and Spencer were replaying the events of the previous night in their heads.

It had been such a small moment between them but it had stirred something deep within Reid, something he hadn’t felt in years. There was no denying that his daughters nanny, his employee, was attractive. Anyone with eyes could see that much. But there was more to her. She was smart and she was working hard to be able to earn her degree with her ultimate aim being to help other people. She was also funny, and wasn’t afraid to test and challenge him during the lengthy conversations they’d had. And the way she was with Ella? His daughter adored her…

Which was why Spencer needed to forget about that moment, that undeniable spark he’d certainly felt. Because he could NOT mess this up for Ella. No. Push it away, far far away.

Y/N was having similar thoughts. Dr Reid was her employer and she enjoyed this job, she loved that little girl. Yes he was an extremely attractive man and that fact that he was eleven years her senior wouldn’t have bothered her in the lightest. They’d definitely bonded more recently and there _was_ a connection there between them. As he’d looked into her eyes last night, his hand gently cupping her face, she’d seen it, she’d felt it.

A longing. Something that she now felt deep in the pit of her stomach.

Perhaps she was just lonely, she posed to her herself? It had been a while since she’d been in a relationship, although she’d had her share of one night stands.

No. That wasn’t it. She was happy being single, she could take or leave the company of another man.

This was different. Or…. It could be very different if they were to let it be. But she couldn’t. No, no way.

She needed to forget about last night, even though she knew he’d felt it too. In fact, she was betting herself that Dr Reid was probably lying in his bed giving himself this very same talk.

Dr Reid lying in his bed….

NO! Do not go there, Y/N.

No. He was her boss and she was his employee. It was a stupid crush. Nothing more.

That was all it was.

She hauled herself out of bed and into her shower, hoping to wash away these thoughts.


	4. Chapter 4

For the next few days Y/N avoided being alone with Spencer as much as she could. It was easy during the day because he was at work but in the evenings, she made excuses. A paper she needed to complete.

After four days she realised she was being childish and possibly making things worse. They were both adults here, nothing had actually happened between them, not really. And neither of them was going to acknowledge the moment that had passed between them. So the following evening she stayed downstairs and things returned to normal.

A few weeks later, she and Spencer were sitting on the couch, a film playing in the background as Y/N studied her textbook and Spencer read. Both he and Ella had been usually quiet today and although she didn’t want to ask, Y/N knew something was wrong.   
She could feel her eyes drooping, she’d vacuumed the entire house today, as well as changing three sets of bed sheets, both jobs she despised. Closing her thick book, she decided to take herself off to bed.

Sensing her movement, Reid looked up and cleared his throat. “Y/N, I erm… I should have told you this earlier but you have tomorrow free. You don’t need to take Ella to school or collect her.”

It wasn’t a holiday, and Ella didn’t have any appointments that would take her from school.

“Are you on leave?” she queried, watching his eyes shift uncomfortably.

“I am. I won’t be taking Ella to school though. Tomorrow is…. ” he rubbed his eyes and Y/N could see how weary he looked.“We’re visiting the cemetery tomorrow with Amanda.”

Amanda. Ella’s maternal grandmother, Y/N had met her on numerous occasions. She was just about to ask and then she realised she already knew why they would be going. The same reason she, her father and her younger siblings visited the cemetery annually.

She gave him a small nod and reached her hand out, squeezing his forearm gently. “If you need anything, let me know.”

“Thank you” Dr Reid’s words were soft and quiet, and Y/N left the room quickly knowing that he very much needed to be alone.

Spencer hated this time of year. He had to be strong for his daughter but this day only served to remind him of everything that he had lost through stupid decisions years ago. He wouldn’t change either of his daughters for the world but….it was hard for him to reconcile his feelings into words. It was just that things could have been so very different if only he had been truthful.

But he couldn’t change any of that now, he could only move on with his life.

…

The next morning Y/N reached remained in bed until she heard the front door close and Spencer’s car start. When she made her way downstairs there was a note addressed to her in the kitchen.

“We’ll be back late, don’t worry about making dinner for us.”

Y/N busied herself with errands, taking herself off into town for some retail therapy and then meeting her friend Olive at her families restaurant. Olive was a manager there and the two girls would often eat there together when Olive was on her break. She was the only friend Y/N had confided in about her teeny crush on her boss, although when she bought it up today to tease her, Y/N batted her questions away. It didn’t seem right to talk about that today somehow.

When Y/N returned to the house it was around 7pm and they still weren’t home. She took herself off for a bath and then climbed into bed, switching her TV on settling on a movie. It was still early but she didn’t want to be downstairs when they returned.

When she heard the door go again, it was around 9pm. Y/N guessed they must have spent the day with Amanda and she listened as two sets of footsteps padded up the stairs and into Ella’s bedroom. Around twenty minutes later,  the door opened and closed again and Y/N heard Spencer head back downstairs. She deciding whether to go and see if he was okay when a small knock sounded at her door.

“Come in” she said quietly, the door opening to reveal a pajama clad Ella, her tear stained face making her look much younger than her nine years. The young girls face crumpled again and Y/N held her arms out, Ella scurrying across the room and onto the bed. She buried her head in Y/N’s chest, sobbing.

Y/N held her, smoothing her hair and murmuring to her. Ella knew Y/N had lost her own mother when she was younger, it was something the two girls had spoke about before and bonded over. She tried to keep her own emotions in check as she soothed the little girl she’d become so fond off, feeling her sobs slowly beginning to subside. When Y/N looked down at her face, her eyes were closed and her breathing was starting to even out. Ella had cried herself to sleep.

Very carefully Y/N slid her arms under her body inched over to the side of the bed, hauling herself and the now exhausted child up and out of it. Ella stirred slightly but her eyes remained shut as Y/N padded down the hall, thanking god the child was light, and placing her in her own bed. She switched on the small star shaped nightlight that was rarely used, and tucked Ella’s favourite stuffed bear in beside her, kissing her forehead and slipping out of the room and down stairs, finding Dr Reid sitting in the lounge in the dark, a glass of whiskey in his hands. He looked up when she entered, his eyes looking tired but surprisingly not like he’d been crying.

“I erm… ” Y/N didn’t really know what to say to the man.“If you need anything Dr Reid…”

He nodded and she went to turn away when he blurted out, surprising himself, “I just, I don’t know how to feel anymore.”

Y/N’s eyes raked over his exhausted face, and she slid onto the end cushion on the couch, just waiting to see if he’d continue. He did.

“I loved Ella’s mom, but we were never together, not like we should have been. I miss her and I wish she was here but… I sometimes feel like I’m grieving for something I never had. And sometimes, I forget that she’s even gone, like she was never here in the first place. And then I feel horrific.”

“Spencer, if you don’t mind me asking. What actually happened between you two?”

And so Spencer told her the full story about his sordid little affair, and what happened six years afterwards. And Y/N felt terrible for asking, but could also understand why he was so confused about his feelings. It was easy for him to profile and psycho analyse someone else, but not when it came to himself.

“Spencer. You’re being too hard on yourself. Four years have passed and like you said, you were never actually together, not really. You have the affair that gave you Ella, and a few months of reconnecting with her when she came back into your life but… I dunno. I think that you’ll always love this woman and that you’ll always grieve for her, for Ella’s sake. But it also sounds like you’re accepting that you weren’t in a relationship with her, but that you feel like should still be more heartbroken than you actual feel right now. You’ve grieved for the ‘what if’, what you could have had together. Don’t force yourself to keep grieving for it if you’re done.”

Dr Reid took in her words and slowly nodded, standing up from the couch. She followed suit, thinking he was heading to bed and that she would too.

“Thank you, Y/N. I hired you to look after my daughter, but sometimes I swear you’re looking after me as well. And there’s definitely times when I need that, a much as I choose to ignore it.”

Y/N assessed her employer, seeing how sad he still looked. She lunged forward an wrapped her arms around his torso, shocking the both of them. Instead of pushing her away, Dr Reid’s arms slipped around her waist and he sighed into her embrace.

“Sometimes we all need a little looking after.”

She squeezed him tightly and then released him, ignoring how good he smelled as she pulled away.

“Goodnight Dr Reid.”

“Good night Y/N” Spencer told her as he watched her slip out of the room, thinking how empty his arms suddenly felt.


	5. Chapter 5

Another month passed by and soon the warm spring turned into early summer. Y/N came home one Sunday afternoon from lunch with friends to find Spencer, Ella and Ellie having an impromptu water fight in the garden, Dr Reid running around in shorts and a t-shirt, a surprising combination for him. For the first few months of her employment it seemed that all she’d ever seen him wear was suits, or a neat slacks, and a shirt and cardigan combination. The first time she’d seen him dressed down in jeans and a t-shirt, her jaw had dropped and he’d laughed at her.

Y/N watched through the kitchen window for a while, a smile on her face at the sight of Spencer and his two girls running around, them attacking him with water pistols. The sounds of laughter coming from the garden were infectious and Y/N glanced over to the garden shed, quickly seeing that the hose they used for watering the plants was still hooked up to the outside tap. Dumping her bag, she quickly snuck outside, the family not noticing her. Grabbing the hose’s end, she set it to spray and turned the tap on. She swivelled around with her weapon in hand just in time, Ella had crept up behind her, her super soaker aimed and ready for action.

“Nooooo!!!” the nine year old squealed and ran off as Y/N joined in the fun, her much more powerful weapon unravelling behind her as she chased the two girls. So far she was still dry apart from the odd splash and she cornered Ella and Ellie, soaking them even more, their laughter filling the garden.

“Y/N… ”

She swung around at the sound of her employer behind her, regretting it immediately when she saw the bucket in his hand. She braced herself for the shock of the cold water drenching her but still surprised herself with the girlish squeal she let out as the water seeped through her flimsy clothing.

“Not fair!!” She attacked him back, aiming the nozzle at him and chasing him as he fled.

The fight continued for another fifteen minutes or so until the adults could no longer take it.

“Girls…. Enough now please!” their father begged them as they relented, dropping their pistols onto the grass which was already littered with various buckets and vessels that they’d used to soak each other. They linked arms and scurried off into the house to dry off and get changed.

Y/N started the pick the toys up, emptying them out and stacking them by the back door ready to be put away. She didn’t notice Dr Reid’s eyes drawn to her.

Reid knew he shouldn’t look but he couldn’t help it. His little crush that he’d pushed to the back of his mind had suddenly been reignited again. The water had turned Y/N’s flimsy top almost see through, it clinging to the swell of her breasts. Droplets of liquids were dripping from her soaked hair and running down her body. Spencer was having very obscene and definitely not appropriate at all thoughts as he watched her bending over to pick up the various items that had been scattered and tidying them away.

Fuck…

He shook his head as if trying to shake the thoughts away, adjusting his shorts as discreetly as he could before joining her to set the garden right again.

…

Over the next week Spencer was called away on a case, taking him out for seven full days, the longest the team had had in a while. He felt terrible that he was leaving Ella for so long and even found himself missing Y/N.

“Is Ella okay?” he asked her one night on the phone, it was late by the time he’d got chance to call and she’d not been able to keep his daughter up any longer.

“She’s fine. She’s misses her dad but she knows he’s off saving the world so that kinda makes up for it in her eyes. Georgia took her today whilst I was at college so I think being with her sister distracted her. You say you’ll be home tomorrow?”

“Should be. We have the unsub in custody, it’s just jurisdictional paperwork now, and then to get a flight window to fly home. Thank you for this week, for looking after her.”

“Hey, it’s what you pay me for, right?”

“Yeah but not to watch her 24/7…..”

“Dr Reid,” Y/N interrupted him. “I knew this could happen when I signed up to be Ella’s nanny. Sure, up until now the most you’ve been away is a few nights but we both knew it could happen. It’s what you pay me for.”

“If you say so. At least…. At least let me take you out for dinner to say thank you the next time Ella is with Georgia for the weekend.”

What was meant to be a gesture of thanks suddenly sounded so wrong to him. Perhaps because of the obscene thoughts of her that still popped into his head every so often.

“Erm…. Sure, okay. That could be nice” Y/N herself sounded unsure, wondering whether somehow that was a step too far in their professional relationship.

They ended the phone call a few moments later and Spencer turned around to find JJ stood behind him, a curious look on her face.

“So you’re taking the Nanny out to dinner now?”

“Apparently so. Should I, should I not be?”

Jennifer cocked her head to one side thoughtfully. “Just… Be careful Spence.”

“I am. It’s just dinner to say thank you. She’s a nice girl, and I enjoy her company. What’s wrong with taking her out?” His back was suddenly up and he could feel his friend trying to read him.

“There’s nothing wrong with it Spence, chill. If it’s just to say thank you, then that’s fine.”

“It is. That’s all it is.”

Jen sighed as she watched her friend stalk away. She’d been to the Reid household a few times since Y/N had started work there, Y/N had even watched Henry for her when an emergency had come up. She could see how much happier Ella and Spencer were with this woman in their lives, it was a massive change to how things had been this time last year. JJ couldn’t helps but wonder if there wasn’t more to it though. And whilst that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing for her friend and his daughters, Spencer needed to make sure he went about it the right way. And he had a track record in the past of not doing that, at least when it came to relationships. She liked Y/N a lot, she just prayed that if what she thought she was possibly sensing was happening or at least going to happen, that Reid wouldn’t fuck it up.

For everyone’s sakes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a big ask but if you’re enjoying my content and you’re financially able to then you may consider buying me a Ko-Fi as a way of financially supporting my writing. Many thanks to you if you do, it means so much to me that anyone might enjoy my work enough to dontate to me
> 
> https://ko-fi.com/cherrywhisp


	6. Chapter 6

Spencer never got round to taking Y/N out for dinner. The next Saturday that Georgia had Ella, turned out to be 4th of July weekend, and Rossi was throwing one of his get togethers at his home. As Spencer was leaving work on the Friday evening, Dave joined him in the elevator.

“You coming tomorrow, Kid?” even at 37 years of age, he was still the kid to them.

“I am. Ella’s with her sister and Gee so I’ll be coming alone.”

“Why not bring Y/N with you then, unless she has other plans.”

The whole team had met Ella’s Nanny at one point or another, and David Rossi had definitely taken a shine to her.

“You’re alright there Dave. I don’t really fancy having to find another nanny because you’ve charmed her into bed and she becomes Mrs Rossi number 17.”

Rossi laughed lightly at Reid’s joke. “Damn, you saw straight through my ruse. Okay, I promise I’ll turn the old Rossi charm down a notch or two. It’ll be hard, but I think I can manage it. Just, see if she wants to come. It’ll be nice for her to get to know the rest of your family properly. Because that’s what we all are, right?”

“Alright fine, I’ll ask. But she’s known she’s got this weekend off for a while so she’s probably made plans.”

As it turns out, Y/N hadn’t made any plans for the fourth of July. Her only plan was to catch up on sleep and her studying which she could do another time. So, she decided to accompany Spencer to his colleagues party.

It started mid afternoon, Spencer and Y/N catching a cab to Rossi’s mansion so that they could both celebrate with some alcoholic beverages. Y/N wore a simple sun dress which Reid thought she looked sensational in although he just casually told her she looked nice. He was dressed casual in jeans and a t-shirt. The party went well, Y/N chatting to all of his colleagues and friends at one point or another, and happily playing with Henry and Michael.

Y/N ate plenty of the delicious barbecued food and drank her fill of wine which Rossi kept topping up. When darkness fell and the fireworks started, she moved closer to Spencer, as they watched together.

Once the fireworks finished, she suddenly felt a chill run through her body. She shivered and felt Spencer’s warm hands rub briskly up and down her arms.

“You okay?” he whispered.

“I’m good. A little tipsy and just suddenly felt cold.”

“I’ll go grab you a coke, and maybe a throw from the living room” he started turn away but she placed her hand to his arm, stopping him.

“Spence I’m fine. Honestly. It was just a chill. And I’m only a little bit tipsy.”

“I’m still gonna get you one. I’ll be right back.”

Spencer disappeared and Y/N was left standing alone. His group of colleagues had split off into couples talking amongst themselves and Rossi was busy playing host to everyone. Spencer returned a moment or two later, a fluffy throw over his arm and a glass of coke. He handed her the drink first and she gulped it all down quickly, suddenly very thirsty. Then he shook the throw out and wrapped it around her shoulders, pulling it together at the front and then rubbing up and down her arms again.

“Better?” he asked, looking down at her.

“Much.”

Spencer’s hands stilled their movements on her, settling on her shoulders and Y/N found herself staring at him, entranced by the way the moonlight framed his face. If he had been anyone else other than her employer, she’d have reached up on her tip toes and kissed him then and there. But she didn’t.

JJ and her husband were watching the scene from across a the garden, Jen’s brow furrowed at her friend.

“Cher’, he’s a grown man. He knows what he’s doing.” Will knew his wife’s concerns. She wanted Reid to be happy but she didn’t trust him to do it right.

“He was a grown man ten years ago and he didn’t know what he was doing then…. ” she countered.

“Touché. Seriously though Jen. Let him make his own mistakes, it’s the only way he’ll learn.”

“So I’m not the only one seeing this then?”

“No. I see it too. Listen, it’s getting late. Shall we head off?”

“We can, I kinda told Spencer that you’d give him and Y/N a ride home first though. Is that okay?”

“Sure thing babe. Let me go ask if they’re ready. I can take them first and then I can come back for you and the boys.”

Y/N and Spencer were ready to leave, grateful of the offer a ride home from Will, meaning that they didn’t have to wait on a cab. They thanked Rossi from his hospitality, Y/N placing the throw back in the lounge feeling a lot warmer now. It had just been a moment of coolness, it was still extremely warm out. Following Will to his car, they both slid into the back seat and buckled up.

The short ride home was quiet, Will making idle chat with them both, casually watching the pair in his rear view mirror.

Y/N’s hand was resting on the empty seat between her and Spencer’s, she could feel the warmth of her employers hands resting next to hers. She glanced over at him in the dark, him staring out the car window. When she looked away, Spencer looked over at her and then down at the seat between them, noting the proximity of their hands. His fingers twitched a few times and he willed himself to be strong. She was his daughters Nanny.

But she was also so much more than that to him. So much more than just a crush as well. This woman had come into their homes and changed their lives. Yes, she was beautiful, but Reid also felt a connection with her, one he’d been telling himself over and over that he couldn’t, shouldn’t explore. Yet he wanted to so much.

His hand twitched again, his pinky finger moving slightly, sliding over the top of hers. She didn’t flinch at all, simply looking down at their hands and then back up at Spencer. This time he wasn’t looking away, instead staring directly at her.

Will pulled up in front of Reid’s house, the tension in the car so much that even he could feel it.

“Thank you for the ride Will” Y/N said politely and sweetly as she climbed out of the vehicle and started heading towards the front door.

“No problem darlin” he called after her, watching her wave and then slip inside.

“Reid… ” the other man had exited the car and was walking around the vehicle. He stopped at Will’s opened window, waiting for him to speak.

“It’s none of my business but Man, I hope you know what you’re doing here.”


	7. Chapter 7

Y/N unlocked the front door leaving it open for Spencer to follow her. Toeing off her ballet pumps and leaving them at the bottom of the stairs she padded into the kitchen, the cool tiles like heaven against her feet. It was only eleven thirty and she wasn’t quite ready to go to bed yet, it was too warm right now for her to sleep anyway. Perhaps another glass of wine out on the back porch? But first, water. She opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle setting it down on the counter, hearing the front door close and Spencer follow her into the kitchen.

“Did you want a drink?” Y/N asked him, feeling him standing close to her.

“I’ll have whatever you’re having” his voice was quiet, contemplative. Something was wrong.

She turned around to face him, her back to the counter now. “Spencer, is everything okay?” She reached for the water bottle and twisted the cap off, bringing it to her lips and guzzling the cool liquid.

Reid nodded, struggling with himself as he watched her plump lips seal the lip of the bottle as she drank so quickly that a stream of water dripped down her chin and onto her chest, trailing down between her breasts. His eyes followed the droplets down and he had to tear his gaze away from her cleavage as she giggled, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

“It’s so warm out” Y/N held out the bottle to Dr Reid, not missing the look on his face as she spilled the water. “You want some? It’s ice cold.”

Spencer took the bottle from her hands but didn’t drink it, just looking at her carefully. Y/N stared back, reaching up to her hair and pulling it up into a messy pony tail using the elastic she had on her wrist. The back of her neck was far to warm and her skin felt hotter still under her employers gaze.

“You erm… missed a bit” Spencer stepped forward and tucked a long strand of hair behind her ear, his long fingers then gently trailing a track down her jawline mirroring the move that had started this tension between them weeks ago.

Instead of pulling his hand away this time, he cupped her chin with it, Y/N looking up into his hazel eye’s, watching the pupils dilate with the wanting she could feel was in the air. His thumb stroked the side of her face, swiping quickly over her lower lip causing her breath to hitch in her chest. When Spencer went to move his hand away, Y/N stopped him, encircling her fingers around his wrist and keeping him there. Her chest heaved as did his and Spencer closed his eyes briefly, lowering his head and resting his forehead against hers. The air between them crackled and Y/N’s skin hummed from the contact.

“We shouldn’t do this…. ” Dr Reid whispered, his eyes now open and searching hers.

“I know” Y/N whispered back, licking her lower lip as she waited for him to make his decision. Hers was already made.

“You’re my daughters nanny.”

“I know.”

Spencer’s thumb swiped over her lip again and she dared to part them, her tongue tasting the saltiness of his flesh. His eye’s widened.

“It’s been a long time since I wanted someone as much as I do you right now… ”

Heat pooled between Y/N’s thighs right then and she knew if this didn’t happen, she was going to have to take matters into her own hands later.

“If you want me, you can have me. I want you too, I have for weeks” Y/N breathed her words out, almost intoxicated by him.

“We shouldn’t…. ”

Yet he made no move to pull back, to walk away. And neither did she. Instead she pressed her body forward against his, feeling a large bulge in his jeans. Spencer groaned lowly and then that was it. His lips crashed onto hers and her back hit the counter again.

Dr Reid’s kisses were hot, heavy, their teeth clashing a few time before they found their rhythm together. Her hands moved to his neck, tangling in his hair as his hands trailed up and down her sides, feeling the curve of her body underneath the thin material of her sun dress.

Spencer pulled her bottom lip between his, nibbling it lightly before releasing it as she gasped. His mouth kissed along her jaw, peppering kisses down her neck. She felt so warm to him, his lips tasting her skin and not being able to get enough of it. He wanted to kiss everywhere, to taste every inch of her that she’d allow him to. Her fingers caressed the back of his neck gently, sending shivers down his spine as Spencer pushed all of his concerns, all of his worries about doing this, to the back of his brain. He was living in the now for once, and his now wanted to make love to this beautiful woman that had been living under his roof for the past eight months. This woman who he’d become entranced with, enchanted by.

Y/N whimpered as Spencer suckled on her neck, his tongue darting over her pulse points. His hands were now running over her butt, finding the hem of her dress and slipping under it as he kissed along her shoulder. His large hands palmed her ass, squeezing it lightly.

“Spencer… Not here, not in the kitchen” she managed to choke out and he pulled away suddenly. His eyes were wild as he looked at her, nodding and then taking her hand, tugging her towards the stairs and pushing her up them in front of him.

Half way up she felt his hands on her waist, stilling her in her steps. He was a few steps below her, his head level with her butt and she clung to the bannister as lips suddenly connected with the skin of her thighs.

She was too much for him, the bedroom seeming too far away. Reid hadn’t been able to stop himself from touching her again, from kissing the exposed creamy skin at the top of her legs. God, how he wanted to taste what was between them.

“Turn around” he begged her, and she did. Spencer pushed gently and she moved backwards so that she was sitting on a step, her legs moving apart so he could place himself between them. He continued kissing her thighs, pushing her dress higher until her could see the fabric of her pink cotton panties, the fabric a lot darker in certain places.

“Fuuuck” he groaned quickly kissing higher until his mouth was pressed against the material between her legs. His tongue flicked out tasting her desire through the cotton. He wanted to bury himself in her, his mouth, his tongue, his fingers, eventually his cock.

Y/N leaned back, the edges of the stairs pressing against her spine as she looked down at her boss settled between her legs. His messy brown hair tickling her thighs as he kissed and sucked at her through her panties. She moaned, her head lolling back onto a step as he tugged her ass right to the edge, slipping his fingers underneath the elastic of her underwear and tugging them down her legs so that she was bared to him. He leaned back slightly, careful so as to not slip, this wasn’t exactly the best place for them to be doing this but neither seemed able to move.

Spencer stared at the view in front of him, a beautiful woman with her legs spread and her dress up around her waist. His was straining against his jeans, desperate for some release of his own but first, he wanted to, no, he _needed_ to touch this goddess who was so very fucking wet for him. He carefully readjusted his position, leaning forward and blowing gently on the pink flesh that was nestled at the apex of Y/N’s thighs. She squirmed and let out a moan, an almost begging sound. Spencer placed a hand over the light smattering of pubic hair, using his palm to pull lightly on the skin, making her now extremely sensitive nub of nerves more exposed to him. Then he lowered his mouth to her once again, working his tongue and lips in a way he hadn’t done for years.

Y/N dug her fingers into the thick carpet of the stairs, sure she was going to slip at any second but not caring. Dr Reid’s lips sucked at her clit, his tongue flicking at it in quick succession sending jolts of pleasure through her body. She bit down on her lips trying to keep hers gasps of pleasure to a minimum, feeling somewhat embarrassed by the noises she was making. She needn’t have worried, her keening was spurring Spencer on, making him work his mouth faster, harder against her. His tongue swiped down her folds, dipping inside of her before trailing back upwards towards her clit. His fingers then moved to where his tongue had just been, slipping first one long digit inside of her almost dripping entrance. He quickly added another, feeling her tight walls clamping down on her as he curled them upwards to that pebbled flesh inside and began pumping them, his mouth never leaving her swollen nub.

Y/N squirmed, a knot forming in her lower belly as he pleasured her, an occasional grunt leaving his own mouth and vibrating through her. She couldn’t take much more of this, her breathing was erratic and her gasps filled the stairway. Her leg began to judder as her orgasm shook through her body, the heels of her bare feet digging hard into the carpet to keep her from slipping off the edge of the step. The sound of Y/N coming was music to Spencer’s ears and when he was sure she was done he retracted his fingers from her, wiping the silky fluid that coated them on his jeans and then slowly kissed up her still dress covered torso until he got to her mouth, carefully altering his footing on the stairs.

She opened her eyes, them glinting in the moonlight that streamed through the window at the top of the stairway. Reaching up with her hands she fisted her hands into his t-shirt and pulled him down to her mouth, tasting herself on Spencer’s tongue. She wanted more, needed more. Y/N worked her hand awkwardly between their bodies, fumbling with the button on Spencer’s jeans. When he worked out what she was trying to do he pulled away, standing up and taking her hand. Tugging her to her feet, he quickly pulled her the rest of the way up the stairs and in to his bedroom. His drapes were still open, a thin strip of moonlight illuminating the bed as if it were a spotlight and that was to be their stage. Y/N placed her hands on Spencer’s chest, taking control and pushing him towards the bed until his knees hit the edge and he fell backwards with a small thud.

She grinned and knelt to the floor, her hands now quickly finding the buttons of his jeans and unfastening them as Reid lifted himself back up, resting on his arms. Y/N tugged his jeans and boxers downwards, him lifting his hips off the bed to help. Once he was free of his constraints, his clothing tossed onto the floor, Y/N crawled closer to him, her hands gripping his thighs as she watched his lips part slowly. She licked her own lips, running her fingertips up to the tops of this legs and then dragging them slowly across to his groin. Taking his stiff length into her hand she watched as Spencer bit down on his lower lip as she began to pump her fist up and down, his tip already glistening with pre cum. She licked her lips again and then lowered her head to him, returning the favour his had paid her just moments before.

Reid gasped as he felt his cock slip between her plump lips, them forming a tight ‘o’ as they slid up and down. The flat of her tongue was pressing against him as she bobbed up and down, her hand following her mouth and increasing the sensation. It had been years since he’d had any sexual contact with someone other than his own hand and he knew he wasn’t going to be able to last long. And he wanted to be inside of her when he came. He sat fully upright on the bed, grasping Y/N’s shoulders and forcing her gently off him. She looked at him surprised, mild offence on her face.

“No no no… It’s not that, it’s nothing bad. It’s just.. It’s been years. I feel ready to explode already and, well, I was hoping for it to be inside of you. And I don’t mean your mouth.”

Y/N smirked, an expression he rarely saw on her.

“Dr Reid” she purred using his title and surname. “We have all night. And if it’s really been that long, then I don’t want you coming inside of me straight away. The second time around, you’ll last longer. So let me finish sucking your cock and then when you’re ready to go again, you can put it somewhere else.”

Spencer nearly came there and then at her words. For a girl who he rarely heard swear, he had not expected such dirty things to come out of her mouth. He may have imagined them once or twice during his alone time in the shower, but actually hearing them? Fucking hell….

She didn’t wait for him to answer, she just lowered her head again and resumed where she’d left off, her tongue swiping over the head as she worked up and down quickly. Reid leaned backwards letting the sensation build within him until he could contain it no more.

“Y/N… I’m… Oh fuck… ” him hips bucked upwards and he felt her lips curl into a smile as he released into her mouth. She swallowed him down easily, dragging her mouth up and down a few more times until she was sure he was finished. She raised her head and sat back on her haunches, scanning the bedroom quickly.

“There’s… Ugh, the water bottle on the table, it’s fresh” Reid told her and he lay back, collecting himself. Y/N stood up quickly, taking a sip of water to wash him down and then standing by the bed in front of him.

She was still in her dress and as she looked down at him, she quickly wondered how she could get him ready again. Reaching for her hem, Y/N pulled her dress upwards and over her head, letting it drop to the floor. Spencer’s eyes had been closed but now they were wide open at the sound of movement. She reached behind her back and unclasped her bra, it joining her dress on the floor. She was standing completely naked in front of him, her eyes boring into his as she raised an eyebrow and then her hand, tracing it sensually over her breasts.

Reid watched her, her hands running over over torso before she closed the few paces between herself and the bed, and then crawled onto it. Y/N swung a leg over Reid’s abdomen, sitting astride him , her warm wet centre soaking his t-shirt, not that he gave a damn. She reached down for his hand taking it into hers and bringing it up to her chest. Spencer palmed her breasts, his other hand coming up to join in. Her nipples were hard against his skin and she shuddered and gasped when he tugged on them slightly. He could feel himself growing hard again and pushed himself upright, making Y/N shimmy backwards until she was in his lap.

She could feel him, ready go again and she smiled.

“Condom?” she asked.

“Bedside drawer” he told her and she leaned across and found one, momentarily moving off him whilst she carefully rolled it on to him. It may have been a while but Reid was always prepared.

Once he was sheathed, Y/N climbed back onto his lap slipping her hand between their bodies and lifting her body oh soo slightly, before sliding down on top of him. He was engulfed by her heat, and they both groaned at the new sensation. Not moving her body for a moment, Y/N seemed to finally realise that Spencer was still partially clothed, reaching for his t-shirt and pulling it up. He raised his arms and soon his shirt joined the pile of clothes on the floor.

Then she began to move, her hips grinding against his in a way that made him want to keep her here forever and ever, never letting her leave this room. She grabbed his shoulders, using him as leverage and soon enough they were both panting and gasping again. Spencer could feel her contracting around him, her walls squeezing him tightly and suddenly he wanted to be on top. In a move that left Y/N wide eyed and grinning, he flipped their positions, her legs now wrapped around his waist as he placed his hands either side of her and started to thrust, long and slow strokes.

Y/N looked down between their bodies, seeing him sliding in and out of her, the rubber slick with her excitement. She slipped her hand down between her legs, looking back up at Reid as she started to rub her clit. His pace quickly increased when he saw what she was doing, her extra activity causing her to tighten around him even more. He pounded in and out, in and out, the exertion making his body even more over heated than it already was. He needed to hear her come again.

A few minutes later and Y/N was ready to let go once more, the combination of her fingers and Spencer’s cock inside her quickly bringing her to another orgasm. As her thoughts blurred and her pleasure took over her body, she felt Spencer slipping over his edge as well. They came together, something she’d only seen happen in movies, Spencer collapsing on top of her completely and utterly spent.

Y/N closed her eyes, her hands moving to Spencer’s head and lightly caressing his neck. She felt him slip out of her, half limp now between her legs. He turned his face and nuzzled her neck.

“Stay here with me tonight?” he whispered, his voice hoarse and low. She nodded in response.


	8. Chapter 8

When Y/N awoke the next morning, she was still in Dr Reid’s bed, completely naked with his body melded around hers. She ached, it had been a while since she’d had a night like last night. One question was at the fore front of her mind. She’d just screwed her employer. So what would happen to her now.

Spencer stirred besides her, his head nuzzling into her neck and his long arm pulling her tighter. She wanted to relax into his embrace, to give in to him again but she couldn’t.

“Spencer?” she whispered.

“Mmmmm?” he nuzzled her neck again, his lips pressing against her skin.

“Spencer… We need to talk… ”

With those words he released his grasp on her and rolled onto his back. “That’s never a good sentence to hear.”

She turned over so she could face him, his hair wild from sleep. She wanted to reach out and touch it but she needed to find out where this was all going first.

“I just…. Last night. I mean, I’m here. In your bed. Where I probably shouldn’t be considering I’m your daughters Nanny.”

Reid rubbed his eyes with hands, hating this conversation but knowing that it was one they needed to have. One they probably should have had a good while ago.

“You’re right. You probably shouldn’t be. But that doesn’t mean that I want you to leave. Quite the opposite in fact. Look…. I’m no good at this. So I’m just going to say what I want to say and then you can make a decision afterwards” he coughed, clearing his throat before continuing.

“Last night… I’ve dreamed about that happening for weeks. For me though, it isn’t just about that. I shouldn’t have feelings for you but I do. And it’s been so long since I’ve felt any of those things. You make me happier than I’ve been in a while and you make Ella happy too. I don’t want to stop feeling happy. I like you Y/N. A lot.”

“I like you too. And last night was something I’ve thought about before as well. So what do we do now?”

“Can you keep this separate, from your job? Or is it going to be an issue. I’d like to explore what we have but I can’t have it impacting on Ella or Ellie when she’s here.”

“So we’d be hiding this from Ella” she stated.

“Yes. Until we know what this is. She doesn’t need to know right now, in fact no one needs to. It would only invite unwanted questions from people thinking they know best. It’s a big ask. We live under the same roof after all and ultimately, I am your boss. But if we can separate it, then maybe this could work. What do you think.”

Y/N thought about what he was saying briefly before nodding. She didn’t want to give this up either. “We can separate it.”

Dr Reid grinned, rolling onto his side to face her. “I’m glad you think so. Now… We have the house to ourselves until late afternoon…”

Yes, they did. Y/N inched closer to him on the bed, reaching her hand out to touch his hair.

“I’m sure we can find a way to occupy ourselves”

…

For two fabulous months Spencer and Y/N managed to keep the fact that they were sleeping together a secret. At least they thought it was a secret, but every single of Spencer’s colleagues knew something was happening. He walked with a new spring in his step, spent more time on his cell sending text messages with a goofy smile on his face.

Reid and Y/N thought they had a good system. Their evening routine was the same as it had been before, the only difference being that now when they sat together on the couch once Ella was in bed, it was generally a lot closer than it was before, their limbs often tangled in one way or another whilst Spencer kept a cautious ear out in case his daughter needed something. Unless they were alone in the house, Y/N never spent a full night in his bedroom. He’d lock his door whilst they enjoyed each other, having to be as quiet as they could actually adding to the experience somewhat, and when they were ready for sleep, Y/N would reluctantly slip out his room and down the hall into her own. She knew it was for the best but she lived for the weekends when Ella was with Georgia or staying at her Grandma’s, just so that she could wake up in his arms. She cared deeply for this man and his family, and he seemed to share the same affection for her.

Her constant wonder was how long were they going to keeping hiding their relationship for and what would happen when they did actually come out in the open. Surely it wouldn’t be any different to how it was now? Not really. Although she did still find it a bit strange that ultimately Spencer was her employer and a wage magically appeared in her bank account each month. But she didn’t push the issue, didn’t want to rock the boat.

Until it got rocked for her.

Georgia had come round to pick up Ellie who had spent the weekend. Spencer had nipped out to pick up some groceries for the meal he had decided he was going to cook for dinner that evening. Ellie had been quiet all day, which was unusual for her as she was more recently the more boisterous of the two sisters.

Y/N was stood by the front door waving her and Georgia off as they stood by their car, when she saw Ellie tug her mom’s head down to her level and whisper something into her ear. Georgia frowned at her daughter and then opened door to the car. Ellie climbed in and settled herself, watching as her mom walked back up to the house where Y/N was still stood, a strange look on her face. When she reached the younger woman her words had a slight edge to them.

“Are you screwing my ex husband?”

Shit.

Y/N pulled the door behind her shut, Ella was still in the lounge but Y/N did not want to risk her overhearing any part of this conversation. She struggled to find the right words to say. Should she be honest here, or lie?

“My daughter has just informed me that last night, she woke to go to the bathroom and happened to see you slipping out of her father’s bedroom. Now I know she has an active imagination, but I can’t understand where or why she would make something like that up. So I’ll ask again, are you sleeping with my ex husband?”

Y/N nodded, feeling a flush coming over her face. Georgia pursed her lips, her tongue poking the inside of her cheek.

“Do you have feelings for him?”

Y/N nodded again. There was no point in lying here, she just wished Spencer could come home quickly.

“Does he have feelings for you?”

“I…. I don’t know. He’s told me that he does but… Well, I don’t live inside his head.”

“But you do live inside his house, and he does pay you to look after his child, and my child occasionally. Two girls who have become quite attached to you and who have both already had enough shit thrown at them, Ella especially.”

“I know…. ” Y/N knew exactly what the woman was getting it.

“You realise how much this could set her back if this ends badly? She loves you, you may have only been in her life for just under a year but she’s come to adore you. She doesn’t need to lose another person because her dad couldn’t keep it in his pants.”

Below the belt slightly but again Y/N knew that Georgia was only looking out for Ella.

“She wouldn’t have needed a Nanny forever, I would have been out of her life eventually. If things… If things go well then maybe that wouldn’t have to happen. I could stay.”

“So now you’re wanting to swoop in and be part of this family, be Ella’s new mom?” Gee’s eyebrows shot up her forehead. She knew she was being harsh on the girl but she couldn’t help herself.

“I didn’t say that…. I didn’t say that at all. Look, Georgia. I know how this looks. The dad screwing the help. But Spencer IS single, so am I. We’ve kept this under wraps for two months so as not to affect Ella in anyway. I care for them both deeply and would never EVER do anything to hurt that girl. I know what she’s been through, losing her mom at such a young age, I know what that’s like. I wouldn’t hurt her.”

“And what about if he hurts you. Because believe it or not, he’s very _very_ capable of doing that.”

“I’d like to think that we’re both adults. If the relationship went sour and Spencer wanted me to leave then that’s down to him. If he wanted me to stay until he found a suitable replacement Nanny then I could.”

Y/N couldn’t imagine Spencer hurting her, yet she knew that he had hurt Ella’s mom deeply all those years ago, and to an extent he’d also hurt Georgia by cheating on her. But people changed right? That was all ten years ago.

“I hope you’re right, Y/N. I really do. You’re a nice girl and I can see how good you’ve been for them both. I just didn’t realise the extent of what you being good for them both actually entailed.”

With a shake of her head, Georgia turned and stalked back to her car. This wasn’t over but she wasn’t going to tear into the girl anymore.

Spencer however…


	9. Chapter 9

Georgia did tear into Spencer. Twenty minutes after he arrived home and Y/N filled him in on what had happened, he received a phone call from his ex. He took his cell into the kitchen, away from Y/N and Ella.

“Fucking the Nanny, Reid? Really?”

“Is it really any of your business who I fuck, Gee?” Spencer’s tone was harsh, after all it had been Georgia herself who only a few months ago had told him that he should get back out there on the dating scene.

“Yes. Because we share custody of our daughter who has contact with said Nanny. And your other daughter who I care about has clearly grown attached to her. What happens when this all blows up in your face?”

“Why do you automatically think it’s going to?”

“Alright fine, you’re right. It might not. You and Y/N could be perfect together and play happy families. But for that to happen you’d have to be open with Ella. And you’d also need to stop paying Y/N. She can’t be your daughters Nanny and your girlfriend. It’s weird and wrong, like her being with you is part of the job. And if you stop paying her, she’ll have to get another job and you’d probably have to start paying another Nanny. And how is she then going to feel having another girl around the house constantly. Have you thought about any of these things?”

He had actually. He just didn’t want to have the conversation with Y/N, because ultimately he didn’t want her to have to get another job or for him to have to hire another Nanny.

“Georgia, I’m not having this conversation with you any more. All that you need to know is that Ella and Ellie come first. I care about Y/N a lot, there’s something there that I’m not willing to throw away because she’s my daughters Nanny and people think it’s wrong. Me and her have agreed to keep our relationship separate and up until now, we have. As for the other things you’ve mentioned, that’s between me and her to work out. I get that you’re looking out for Ella here but… You need to leave that to me. I’m happy, and Y/N contributes to that.”

“Fine…. But don’t come crying you me when…”

“Goodbye Georgia”

He placed his cell phone on the counter and set about making the dinner he’d been planning to cook. Y/N poked her head around the door a few moments later, entering the room and closing the door behind her when she saw he was done talking to Gee.

“I’m sorry…. I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t even realise Ellie had seen me.”

Reid put down the knife he’d picked up and moved towards his companion, his hands moving to rest on her hips.

“It’s fine. It was going to come out sooner or later. I’m sorry if she was a bitch to you.”

“She wasn’t too bad. I understand where she’s coming from, she’s concerned for your kids. Like what would happen if this goes wrong…. ”

She felt shy all of a sudden, looking away from his piercing gaze. Reid tucked his fingers under her chin, gently tilting her head back up.

“Do you think this will go wrong?” he asked quietly.

“I hope not,” her voice was equally as quiet.

He lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her softly, it quickly escalating onto a more passionate kiss.

Ella needed a drink, and Y/N was taking too long bringing her one back. She pushed the kitchen door open, seeing the scene in front of her and turning away. When she got back to the lounge she sat down, grinning to herself. She’d thought so, she’d hoped so. She wanted her dad to be happy again. She hasn’t believed Ellie this morning, her younger sister had a tendency to make things up. But now she realised that maybe she hadn’t been lying.

She wouldn’t tell them she knew, not just yet.  
…

“I’ll be back by 1pm,” Spencer assured Y/N who was looking at him wearily.

“Spencer… My test is at 2pm,” Y/N had been studying for this for weeks, it was an important part of her grade. Dr Reid had returned from a case late last night and had been called in to go over some paperwork.

“I know. Which is why I’ll be home at 1pm at the latest. I’ll probably be earlier, this shouldn’t take long.”

Ugh. She wanted to tell him no. That this was the one Saturday she couldn’t watch Ella, that he had booked this day out as leave weeks ago when she’d told him how important this test was. Georgia was out of town and Amanda was visiting Ella’s aunt and uncle and wouldn’t be home until later.

“Y/N, I promise I’ll be home. I know how important this is to you. If I don’t go in now then I’d would have to wait until this evening and then that would cut into our plans. We don’t want that right?”

Tonight was the night they were telling Ella. If she was being honest, Y/N had an inkling that Ella might already know. She hadn’t out rightly said anything, but sisters talked and sometimes she’d catch Ella looking over at her and Spencer with a smile on her face.

“Okay, okay. Go… ”

Reid grabbed his messenger bag and keys, giving her a quick kiss on the lips before exiting the house. Ella was doing school work in her bedroom so Y/N pulled out her books and notes to fit in one last hardcore revision session.

…

1.05pm

“Spencer, seriously. I need to leave. Where are you? Call me back.”

She’d called him at 12.45pm, then 1pm, each time his cell going straight to voicemail. His personal cell was ringing out with no response.

She called the number she had for the FBI reception asking to be patched through to Spencer Reid’s desk.

“I’m sorry, Dr Reid isn’t actually in the office today. The team left around an hour ago. I can patch you through to his cell?”

“They left?” Y/N squeaked. “On a case?”

“I’m sorry I can’t reveal that information.”

“Why not? I’m down in his personal files as a contact, I’m his daughters Nanny.”

“I’m not allowed to reveal whether they’re on a case or not.”

Was this weekend receptionist new? Y/N had never had problems calling before, but then again she’d only had to go through reception once before.

“What about Agent Aaron Hotchner or Agent Jennifer Jareau? Can you patch me through to their cells?” If they were with Reid they could pass a message to him.

“I’m sorry but I can’t see your name on a list of people authorised to be transferred to them.”

Is she fucking kidding?

It was now quarter past one and Y/N was panicking. She needed to sit this test. She dropped the call on the most unhelpful receptionist ever and called the number for William La Montage. Spencer had given it to her ages ago, Will could sometimes help out. It rang and went to voicemail. She didn’t bother leaving one.

“Shit shit SHIT!”

Ella looked shocked, sitting there on the couch trying not to make a nuisance of herself. She was annoyed at her Dad. He knew this important to Y/N, so where was he? If he’d have been called on a case he’d have texted her, he always did just so that she didn’t worry.

Y/N racked her brain. There was nowhere she could take Ella. She couldn’t drive to the FBI headquarters and to her college in time, and plus, if they weren’t in the office she couldn’t exactly abandon Ella there. And although the girl was responsible, Y/N didn’t think Reid would look too kindly on her being left in Y/N’s car for two hours. What to do, what to do?

Then, light bulb moment.

“Ella, grab your school work and a book.”

Y/N made some phone calls in the car, relieved when Olive said she in work today and could keep an eye on Ella. Y/N knew Olive’s whole family, she’d be looked after there and they’d feed her. She called Reid again as well, leaving him another voicemail telling him where his daughter was, his personal cell still ringing out with the voicemail option not kicking in. She threw her car into the parking lot at the restaurant, Olive rushing out to meet her.

“Thank you thank you thank you!” she gushed at her friend as Ella climbed out the car.

“No problem. I can’t believe he’s not back or called you. Anyway, I’ve set up a little table in the corner at the back, Ella will be fine there for a few hours. Either me, my mom or my pops will be able to see her at all times. Annnnd…” Olive turned her attentions to Ella. “We’ve introduced some new sundaes which I bet you’d love to try.”

Ella nodded happily.

“I’ve left him a message so he might turn up and collect her, text me if he does. If not, I’ll be back at around 4.30pm. Thanks again Olive.”

“No probs. Now go! Good luck!”

“Good luck! Y/N” Ella called as she quickly turned the car around and headed out.

She made it the college and into the exam hall at 1.58pm. Two minutes later and she’d have had to wait ten months to be allowed to resit.


	10. Chapter 10

Y/N finished her test an hour and forty minutes later, reading over her answers and then handing it in.

When she got back to her car, she checked her cell. Five missed calls from Spencer’s personal cell and a text from Olive.

“He picked her up about an hour after you dropped her. He was pretty pissed, just FYI.”

He was pissed? Um no. He had no right to be. He knew today was important to her and that she had somewhere to be. This wasn’t just some coffee date that she could cancel and reschedule. He’d assured her that he’d be back by one and he hadn’t been.

Spencer hadn’t been home by one because Hotch had asked him and Lewis to take some important files and evidence over to the field office two towns over. Spencer calculated the distance and accepted because the he’d worked out that he should be back at headquarters by 12.10pm at the latest, giving him fifty minute’s to get home. FBI protocol dictated that two Agents had to be present for an exchange of evidence. Hotch hadn’t asked JJ to go because of how exhausted she looked and he himself had one of Jack’s football games to go to, one he’d promised his son he wouldn’t miss. So it fell to Tara and Reid.

What Spencer hadn’t factored in was the engine in the SUV suddenly deciding to start smoking and them having to wait for recovery. He also hadn’t factored in leaving his work cell in his desk drawer and the screen on his personal having a hissy fit and not letting him answer calls. He’d left it too close to the tub last night when he’d been in the bath and he figured some water had gotten into the system. It now wouldn’t let him unlock the screen or pretty much do anything.

Tara had offered to let him use her phone but in a very un Reid like way, he actually didn’t know Y/N’s number and when he called the landline and got a dead tone, he vaguely recalled Ella unplugging the phone cradle a few nights ago to plug in her tablet.

“I thought you were meant to have an eidetic memory?” Lewis ask him.

“I do… But you know how terrible I am with phones. She programmed her number in for me and it doesn’t come up when I call or text her, only her name.”

By the time they got back to headquarters, it was two fifteen and when he retrieved his work cell and saw the amount of messages, he winced. She must have missed her test.

Although when he listened to his messages…. She hadn’t.

Instead, she’d left his ten year old daughter at a bar somewhere down town with a woman he’d only seen once, in passing when Y/N had been picked up one night.

His ten year old baby girl, left in a bar with someone he didn’t know.

He was fuming.

…

Y/N unlocked the front door to the house feeling somewhat nervous. She’d called Olive again on the ride home to thank her again.

“How bad was he?”

“Honestly? I thought he was gonna go all FBI on me and charge me with kidnapping his daughter or something…. He’s hot when he’s angry though… ”

“Olive! Seriously though, he has no right to be that mad. I’m the one who nearly missed my test. He was meant to be off work today. And it’s not like I abandoned Ella with a bunch of strangers. She’s met you before.”

“Well, maybe that’s secretly why he’s so annoyed. He’s annoyed at himself?”

“Maybe. Thanks again Liv.”

“No problem hun.”

Y/N could hear the TV on in the lounge and cautiously entered the room. Spencer was sitting in the corner chair, his leg rocking on the floor. His head snapped up when he saw her enter.

“Ella, go to your room,” his tone was harsher than it had ever been before.

“Dad… ” Ella looked at her father, her brown eyes pleading.

“Ella. Go.”

She gave him one last look before running out of the room, not making eye contacting with Y/N.

“Spencer….”

“You left my ten year old daughter in a bar,” Spencer’s voice was low.

“I left Ella in a restaurant run by the my best friend and her family.”

“You left her in a bar with people I don’t know.”

Okay, so he wasn’t taking this well.

“Spencer, I didn’t have a choice.”

“Yes you did. You could have NOT left my daughter in a bar with people I don’t know. You know where I work for a living, you know what I do, what I’ve seen. What could have happened to her if the wrong person had come along.”

“The wrong person wouldn’t have come along because Olive, who you have seen before, and her family were watching her at all times. It is a family run restaurant not some dive bar frequented by junkies. Ella’s met Olive plenty of times.”

Reid’s eye flashed at her and he rose from his chair. “You should NOT have left her.”

“I DIDN’T have a choice. You should have been there, you weren’t meant to be in work today, you didn’t HAVE to go in. You knew that I had this test today and how important it was to me. You also knew that there was no one else to watch Ella. I tried to call you, I even tried to call Will to see if he could watch her. I didn’t have a choice and I didn’t have time to drive across town to bring her to the BAU.”

“You know how important my job is. I had to go in today.”

“No. You didn’t. You told me this morning that it was just paperwork and that it could have been done this evening or tomorrow but you want that to cut into our evening plans. Which was fine. But you assured me, you promised me that you’d be home. And you weren’t. I didn’t have a choice.”

Y/N’s heart was beating faster and she could feel herself getting extremely wound up.

“Yes you did! You shouldn’t have left her.”

“Well you should have been there. Or called me and made other arrangements. Today was my day, you knew this. The one day I shouldn’t have been looking after her.”

“I pay you to be on call all the time. I pay you to look after my daughter so I can work. I pay you to…. ”

“Let’s not go into the list of things you pay me for Dr Reid,” Y/N interrupted him. He was pissing her off right now, refusing to see that he had done anything wrong.

“And why not. You’re paid to do a job.”

“Does that job description involve the other things I do for you? Like putting up with your ex wife having a go at me like she did the other week? Does it involve almost missing and probably failing because of the stress I was under today an important test that I can’t resit for ten months? A test that you knew about, that you said you’d be off for? Does it involve all of the other things I do for you during the night. Am I paid for that too?” she narrowed her eyes at the last statement knowingly it was below the belt.

“Don’t be so ridiculous!”

“I’m not. I’m not the one in the wrong here. I tried every option I had today. You should have been back but you weren’t. And you weren’t answering your phone, and your stupid receptionist wouldn’t even transfer me to your Supervisor because I’m apparently not on the list of important contacts that can speak to him. Interesting that, your daughters main caregiver unable to get through to your boss in an emergency situation. I left your daughter somewhere I knew she would be looked after and would be safe. Because I did NOT have a choice. You didn’t leave me one. I’m the one that was under an immense about of stress this morning, yet you’ve not once apologised to me.”

“I’m not going to apologise for doing my job!”

“You knew I had to be somewhere, and you promised me you’d be home to look after her. Any other time it would have been fine, I would have accepted that it was part of my job and I’d cancel plans. Not today though. You said it was just paperwork yet you went in anyway. I’m not even going to ask what kept you because quite frankly I don’t care. Whatever it was, you should have called. You should have made arrangements for her because you KNEW I had somewhere to be. This was important to ME. But you don’t seem to care about that. Have you asked her if she felt uncomfortable at any point today? Have you asked Ella if she felt unsafe? Because I can guarantee you that she’ll say no.”

Spencer took a deep breath and stepped towards Y/N. “I’m not going to ask my ten year old daughter if she felt safe being left in a bar because she shouldn’t have been left in a bar. I was doing my job today like you should have been doing yours. If you can’t follow simple instructions then we have a major problem here. How can I trust you with her again?”

Y/N shook her head, not believing how this was turning out. “I guess you can’t. And I guess we have an even bigger problem here. You can’t accept that you were wrong today.”

“Because I wasn’t.”

Y/N stared at him, gulping back her emotions.

Spencer spoke again.

“I can’t trust you with her. I’ve lost too much to have someone irresponsible looking after her. Get your stuff and leave.”


	11. Chapter 11

“Happy birthday Ella!“ JJ gushed at her god-daughter, bending down to hug her. She and Spencer had organised a party for Ella at their local ice rink. All of Reid’s colleagues were there as well as Georgia and her family, and Amanda, as well as a number of Ella’s school friends.

“Thanks Aunty Jen. Are you going to come and skate with us later?”

“Of course! Try to show me up though.”

The girl grinned at JJ and made her way back over to the ice where her friends were, Henry slipping his feet into her skates and following her. JJ chuckled, seeing Ella’s school friends swooning over her thirteen year old son. She wondered whether having a guy friend that was older would make Ella much more popular at school? That was how these things used to work….

JJ made her way over to Reid, depositing her bag of gifts down on the table that was already overloaded with presents.

“How’s she been?”

“She had a moment this morning when Amanda first came over, but she’s distracted now so she’s okay,” Reid replying watching his two girls out on the ice together.

“That’s good. I guess birthdays are always going to be hard for her.”

“Yup. And she yelled at me last night too. I had to send her to her room.”

“Ella…. Yelled at you?” Jen was shocked, her god-daughter wouldn’t normally act like that.

“She wanted to invite Y/N. I told her no. She blames me for her leaving and she told me I was stupid for sending her away.”

JJ didn’t comment, pursing her lips together to stop her personal opinion coming out. Reid knew her too well though.

“Look I know you think I was too but… ”

“Spence, don’t. Not today. Enjoy Ella’s day, don’t get worked up about it. What’s done is done.”

What’s done was done, but Spencer could t help but think that his daughter and friend were right. Even Georgia had berated him for firing Y/N.

He knew he’d overreacted, and he knew that ultimately he was in the wrong and that Ella had never been in any danger. Y/N wouldn’t have left her if she didn’t think she’d be looked after. But by the time he’d realised that it had been too late. Y/N had packed and left the house, holding back her tears as she’d hugged Ella goodbye and handed Spencer his house keys back without a single word to him. His oldest daughter hadn’t spoken to him again that weekend, blanking him completely.

Six weeks had passed since she’d left and Spencer hadn’t heard from her at all. And those six weeks had been horrific. Having Y/N around had made such a huge difference to their lives, and the actual job she was paid to do was only a small part of that. Spencer missed her terribly and he knew Ella did too. But he was stubborn and couldn’t bring himself to contact her. He sucked at apologies and although he knew he’d been wrong, he couldn’t bring himself to put it into words.

When Ella had come to him last night and asked if she could invite Y/N to her party the next day, he’d so badly wanted to say yes but couldn’t. He couldn’t bear to face her, not with all his friends there to watch and judge him. Ella had thrown a complete tantrum, bought on by the fact that she missed Y/N and that she was tired from being pulled from pillar to post again. Without Y/N there to watch her, Spencer had been having to yet again rely on Georgia, Amanda and even Will to watch her in the evenings, and had had to tell Hotch once again that he couldn’t go out into the field until he got a replacement sorted. But he couldn’t bring himself to start interviewing again.

Everything was such a mess.

The party went on, the sounds of children’s squeals filling the ice rink. JJ and Garcia started rounding the kids up so they could have their food, a pile of skates dumped off to one side as the kids pottered around in their socks. Ella came wandering over to him.

“Where’s Gee? She has my camera and I want to take some pictures.”

Spencer had bought Ella a digital camera for her birthday, his daughter taking a sudden interest in photography a few weeks ago. He wanted to encourage her so had found one that was child friendly, purchasing some computer software to go with it. He looked around for his ex wife, spotting her near the entrance to the ice rink.

She was talking animatedly to another woman who had a huge box and gift bag at her feet. A woman who Spencer hadn’t seen in six weeks.

Ella spotted her at the same time he did, running across the room and dodging the other people.

“Y/N!!!”

…

Y/N wasn’t sure whether she should come or not. When Ella had messaged her last night she’d known that there was no way Spencer had known that Ella had invited her, Spencer had made it quite clear that he wanted her to have nothing to do with his daughter, or him again.

But she’d bought the gifts for Ella before she’d left and she didn’t want them to go to waste. And why should Ella miss out just because her father was an idiot.

An idiot that despite herself, Y/N was still very much in love with. The argument they’d had, had been ridiculous and it had broken Y/N’s heart when he’d told her to leave. She hadn’t argued anymore though, there was no point. The resolve was set and his mind couldn’t be changed at that point. He was angry that his daughter had been left somewhere and Y/N could accept that. But he wasn’t willing to accept that Ella had been left with people that Y/N trusted, and that she wouldn’t have needed to have been left if Spencer had been there in the first place.

So she packed up and went home to her father’s house, thinking that maybe in a few days Spencer would call her and apologise. But he never did.

Y/N had been at a loss. When a full week had gone by and he hadn’t apologised, she’d sobbed. Crying for the little girl she’d bonded with so deeply that she’d probably never see again. Crying for the job opportunity that had been snatched away from her. Crying for the love that had been lost between her and Spencer. Because she had loved him and had been so sure he’d felt the same way. The way he looked at her sometimes, she never ever been looked at like that by another person before, with such adoration and affection. He’d made her feel things inside that she hadn’t felt for another person, and she hated that despite everything she still felt those things for him. There was just the added emotion of hatred towards him that he’d been so fucking stubborn and had refused to even see things her way. She knew though that because of that, they wouldn’t have worked out. If he’d have apologised and admitted he was wrong then it could have been different. But he hadn’t. So she had to get on with her life. Which is what she’d been doing and planning for the past few weeks.

Y/N hadn’t wanted to come here today, she would have preferred to have dropped the gifts off at their house and left, she things to do, last minute packing to sort out. She was leaving for England tomorrow. But she wanted to make sure that Ella received her presents. She’d thought that she could drop them off at the front desk of the ice rink and then slip out, but Georgia had spotted her.

And now both Ella and Spencer had too, Ella barrelling towards her as Spencer looked over, an unreadable expression on his face as he started after his daughter.

Shit. Maybe she shouldn’t have come after all.


	12. Chapter 12

Ella ran towards and Y/N, her arms flung open wide. Bending over, Y/N opened her own, picking up the now eleven year old and swinging her around quickly before depositing her back onto the ground.

“You came!!” Ella grinned excitedly, her face filled with joy.

“I did.” Y/N tried to ignore Spencer who had walked over to join them, standing a few feet behind his daughter and watching carefully.

“Can you stay?” Ella asked. Y/N shook her head sadly.

“I can’t. I’d love to but I have things to do today. I just wanted to see my favourite girl on her birthday and to give you your presents,” Y/N gestured to the huge gift-wrapped box and bag at her feet.

“Oh… Y/N, I miss you so much much.”

Y/N saw the smile on Ella’s face slip away and she quickly bent down to the girl, wrapping her arms around her.

“I miss you too, so much. I wish I could stay but I honestly have things to do, I just wanted to bring you your gifts. Don’t open them until later okay?”

She whispered something else to Ella, the girl pulling away and looking at her with a smile on her face.

“Okay! Thank you, Y/N.”

“You’re welcome.”

Y/N waved in Georgia’s direction, heading towards the exit when she heard a voice calling her name.

“Y/N, wait… ”

She turned to see Spencer quickly walking after her, Gee and Ella watching him.

Y/N stood, waiting.

“Y/N… I’m… Oh god… Y/N, I…”

Her eyes bore into his waiting for the apology she so desperately craved from him, the apology that would make everything okay.

“Y/N…. ”

Say it. Say anything.

“Yes?”

“I… I’m… Erm… Thank you. For Ella’s gifts.”

She nodded at him, turning on her heel and walking out through the door. He wasn’t going to say it. And she had places to be.

…

The rest of Ella’s party ran smoothly and when Reid got her home that evening, she was a very happy girl.

Amanda had accompanied them, Ella hadn’t wanted to open her gifts in front of everyone but her Grandmother wanted to see her do it so she was coming back to the house with them. No doubt Ella would be busy the next day writing thank you cards to all of her friends, the amount of gifts she’d received was immense. She left the box and bag that Y/N had bought her until last, Spencer trying not to seem so obviously interested when she finally got around to opening it.

Y/N had clearly taken care with his daughters gift. Two dvd copies of movies the pair had seen together during the school holidays, three pairs of earrings for pierced ears, Y/N knowing that Spencer had been planning on allowing Ella to finally have her ears pierced as part of her present. A cute dress that was in the style Ella liked, new copies of a book series that Ella had loved, her original copies tattered of dog eared with over use. All were gifts from someone who obviously loved and adored Ella.

“What’s in the bag Ell?” Amanda asked her.

Ella looked over with a sly grin on her face.

“I don’t know. It’s not for me. Y/N told me she’d bought them for Dad’s birthday and didn’t want them to go to waste. They’re his.”

Spencer was surprised. His birthday had been a few weeks ago and he hadn’t for one second thought that his ex employee and ex lover would have gotten him a gift. Ella walked over with the bag and he took it from her, reading the gift tag.

“Spencer,  
I bought these when we were still… Well whatever we were. By the time I remembered I still had them, it was too late to return them.  
I hope you like them.  
X Y/N X”

He opened the bag, pulling out and unwrapping the gifts. A set of silk ties, monogrammed with his initials at the bottom, a new travel coffee mug, a gift card for his favourite dessert parlour, and finally a new watch. One that he’d commented on months ago when he’d seen it advertised on TV. One that would have set her back the best part of a months wage.

Spencer closed his eyes briefly trying to keep his emotions in check. When he was certain he was okay, he opened them, noticing the time.

“Right birthday girl! Time for bed, it’s well past bedtime. Who knew opening all of these presents would take so long. Say good night to your Grandma then go and get ready.”

Ella hugged Amanda and then sloped off upstairs. Amanda stood and gathered her things, ready to drive home.

Spencer saw her to the door, seeing her hesitate before leaving.

“Spencer…. I know it’s not my place to say here, but don’t waste any more time. You already did that once before and we all know the outcome of that. Apologise, beg for this woman’s forgiveness before it’s too late and she’s out of yours and Ella’s life forever. I’m not stupid and Ella isn’t either. We know she was more to you than just an employee and she was more to Ella than just her Nanny. Don’t let a stupid misunderstanding and stubbornness on your part ruin that, please.”

She rested her hand on Spencer’s arm gently and he nodded. She was right. He had to do something. Amanda left, climbing into her car leaving Spencer alone with his thoughts.

…

When he woke up the next morning, he knew what he had to do. After getting Ella ready and dropping her at Amanda’s for a few hours, he drove to Y/N’s father’s house, the address she’d given for to forward any mail on to. He could have called her but he wanted to see her in person, he knew he had to do this face to face.

When he knocked on the front door after giving himself a small pep talk in the car, an older man answered.

“Hi, erm is Y/N here?” Spencer asked nervously.

“No, she left around twenty minutes ago. You’re Dr Reid, right?” Y/N’s father asked him. Spencer nodded.

“I am. I erm, came to apologise to her. I know I’m about six weeks too late but I’m hoping she can forgive me.”

“That you are. You hurt my daughter badly Dr Reid. She loved you and your little girl.”

“I know, that’s why I’m here. To make things right.”

The older man looked conflicted.

“I’m afraid you’re too late for that. She’s left for the airport, she’s leaving for England.”


	13. Chapter 13

England. She was leaving for England?

Shit.

“Which airport?” Spencer asked Y/N’s father, panic surging through him. He could NOT lose this woman.

Her dad told him and Spencer hopped into his car, driving off as quickly as dared.

What Y/N’s father hadn’t explained was that she was only going to be England for three weeks. At least, for now. He’d seen how heartbroken his daughter had been when Dr Reid had fired her. On one hand, he knew what the man had been through and understood his unhappiness that his child had been left somewhere without his prior consent. On the other hand, Ella hadn’t been left anywhere she wasn’t safe and Y/N had been left with very little choice. He hadn’t been best pleased that Y/N had gotten involved with her employer, but he knew his daughter didn’t jump into relationships lightly so Dr Reid must have been special to her.

After a few weeks of moping around his house, Y/N had gotten her test results. She’d passed, just. But she’d hoped to do so much better. She was also jobless, something she hadn’t been in years. After much deliberation she made contact with Joanne and Nick Thompson, the parents of her previous charge who had begged her to go to England with them.

They were incredibly pleased to hear from Y/N. The entire family missed her greatly. They’d hired a new Nanny who the kids were getting on well with so they couldn’t just offer Y/N her old position back. But they did suggest she come and visit them. They had a guest room and Joanne knew of a few business woman in her company who were looking for new help. Y/N could look into transferring her studies over whilst she was there if she found a family that was agreeable.

It was a big step, one that Y/N had initially not wanted to take. But she’d been shook badly by her falling out with Spencer. Although they’d never said it, she’d loved him. She still did. If he’d have apologised to her, said anything to her that made her feel that there was a chance then she wouldn’t be considering this. But she’d needed a change, something drastic. So she was on her way to begin to trip, Spencer missing her by only twenty minutes.

Y/N’s dad didn’t think the Dr needed to know that her trip was only temporary. He’d seen the panic in the man’s eyes, saw then and there that he did love his daughter deeply and was sorry. And he knew that Dr Reid would be rushing off to the airport to try and stop her. In a big scene that was only ever played out in movies.

His daughter deserved that big scene. So he’d let her have it.

…

Olive had dropped Y/N off in the airport car park telling her to be sure to have fun and to find some hot English dude to bang.

Y/N had laughed telling her that she’d certainly try. Maybe that would help take her mind of Dr Reid. Hopefully this whole trip would do that. She wheeled her suitcase into the departures section of the airport, groaning when she saw the huge queues in front of her. It was fine though, she still had plenty of time, she purposely got here earlier than she needed to but it looked like a lot of other passengers had done the same. No matter. She’d go grab a coffee and visit the ladies room. Then she’d join the queue.

…

Spencer hurled along the freeway driving faster than he’d dared to drive in a while. He hadn’t even bothered to try calling her, he just knew he had to get there. He threw his car into a parking space and dashed into the airport, scanning the screens above the check in desks. There was only one flight a day from this airport that went to England, and he can’t have gotten here that much after Y/N did. He found the desk she’d use and quickly walked up and down the queue, ignoring the curious looks from other people.

He made two trips up and down, his heart beating faster with every step. She wasn’t there. She must have already gone through.

Alright. He needed a cheap flight that would get him through to the departure lounge, he could find her there. He was just about to sit down on one of the benches to pull up the airport’s website on his phone, when he saw her.

She’d stepped out of a coffee shop, pulling her suitcase behind her.

“Y/N!”

She looked up, surprised to recognise the voice that was calling her name, even more surprised to recognise the body it came from.

Spencer.

He was here, in the airport.

She stood frozen to the spot as he made his way to her.

Stopping in front of Y/N, Spencer found himself speechless again. Where to begin, what to even say?

“Hi!”

“Spencer? What are you doing here?”

Okay, breathe Reid. Tell her how you feel. Apologise. Beg if you have to.

“I erm… I came for you. To stop you from moving to England. You’re Dad told me where you were and I just…. I can’t let you go.”

Moving to England? She wasn’t moving there. At least not on this trip. But wait…. Let’s see what he has to say.

“Why?”

One small word, consisting of just three letters.

“Because… Because…. Oh god, Y/N I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry for how I behaved, for how I treated you that day. I was so out of line it was unbelievable. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to apologise enough for my behaviour. You were right and I was wrong, I shouldn’t have left that day, I shouldn’t have gone in. And I certainly shouldn’t have blown up at you. I know you’d never do anything to hurt Ella, that she was never in any danger. I’m so sorry.”

His voice was pleading, his face begging her for forgiveness. It was sweet and also kind of pathetic at the same time. But it was the apology she needed and deserved.

“Apology accepted. Is that all, cos I kinda have a plane to catch?”

“NO!! Please, don’t go. You can’t leave us. Y/N, having you in our lives has made it a thousand times better that what it was. My daughter loves and adores you, I love and adore you. I’m so sorry I ruined everything, but please… Please don’t leave us. We need you. Ella needs you and I need you.”

“You need me as what? Ella’s Nanny ?”

Y/N was trying to keep her face in check, to not let her emotions shine through. She could feel other people looking at them, waiting to see what would happen.

“No. Not her Nanny. You’re so much more to her than that. And you’re so much more to me than that. Y/N, I’ve made some pretty shitty decisions in the past, I’ve waited too long to tell people how I feel, and I’ve lost them because of it. I can’t, I won’t do that again. If you still want to walk away then that’s fine but I have to tell you. I’m in love with you. I haven’t felt this way about anyone in years and I can’t imagine feeling this way again. You make me happy, you make me a better person. You make me enjoy life again. But I can only enjoy it with you by my side. I want you to come home. I want you to come back and be part of my family. We need you, you complete us.”

Y/N’s mouth open and then closed again as her brain struggled to process his declaration of love. She wanted this but…. Could she be with him? He’d apologised for that day but… Would it happen again?

“Spencer, I can’t work for you again. You can’t pay me. It’s too weird.”

“I know, I know. We’d work something out. That’s the least of my worries right now.”

Y/N looked down at her suitcase, at her bag that contained her flight details and passport.

“Please, don’t go,” Spencer begged on last time.

Even though this wasn’t permanent, it was just a trip, she realised that she had no reason to go. She’d been leaving to escape him really, to distract herself. Could they work this out? She’d still need to work and he’d still need to find someone to watch Ella. But… Maybe there could be an in between. She could work elsewhere and still help him with Ella somehow. And they could… Be a family.

You complete us. That’s what he’d said.

“Okay.”

“Okay?” Spencer questioned, hope on his face.

“I won’t leave, I won’t go to England. I’ll stay.”

“You’ll stay. You’ll stay!!”

She nodded and Spencer flung his arms around, no longer being able to contain himself. Y/N hugged him back, missing his embrace so much. Spencer held her tightly, so much so that she had to pull away.

“I kinda need to be able to breathe.”

“Shit. I’m so sorry… But you’re staying? For real?”

“Yes. For now at least. We need to work some things out for sure. But… I love you too. And I love Ella and Ellie too. Where is Ella, anyway?”

“With Amanda. I was in two minds whether to bring her. Part of me thought seeing her might sway you to stay but the other part didn’t want you to feel like you had to if it wasn’t what you wanted, just because you didn’t want to hurt her.”

“Does she know? About… Us?”

Spencer nodded. “I think she knew from the start. Kids got a genius for a father, she figured it out. Or else Ellie told her what she saw that night. She wouldn’t speak to me after you left, and I actually had to send her to her room for yelling at me and calling me an idiot. She was right though, I was.”

Y/N chuckled, imagining that little scene playing out in her mind.

“Shall we go then? People are staring like this is an ending from a movie or something. You know the ones where the man finally confesses his love to stop her from leaving on the plane.”

“That is pretty much what just happened. Though, don’t those movies usually end with a kiss?” Spencer asked, tucking a loose strand of hair back behind Y/N’s ear mirroring the movement that had started this all.

“I believe they do,” she glanced around to see people watching, smiles on their faces.

“Shall we give them what they want?” Reid asked.

Y/N nodded and as their mouths came together they heard a small cheer go up around them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a big ask but if you’re enjoying my content and you’re financially able to then you may consider buying me a Ko-Fi as a way of financially supporting my writing. Many thanks to you if you do, it means so much to me that anyone might enjoy my work enough to dontate to me
> 
> https://ko-fi.com/cherrywhisp


End file.
